Seasoned gamers know all too well how bad movie tie-ins usually are – often because the Hollywood studios merely see the game as a marketing vehicle to fuel the film and nothing more.

Or, in some cases, studios go with inexperienced and inexpensive game developers who crank out mediocre content. In the developers' defense, they're often rushed to complete the game -- so that it'll coincide with the theatrical release -- or they don't get the assets they need from the movie studio to create a meaningful tie-in with the flick.

Regardless of the reason, many steer clear of movie-related games.

With this in mind, Paramount Digital Entertainment's World War Z for iOS and Android game has done a pretty good job with its action-heavy adventure – created by Phosphor Games of Horn and The Dark Meadow fame.

While still not perfect – even after a recommended update -- it's actually quite a fun zombie game. And it's more appealing now that the priced was slashed from $4.99 to $0.99 cents until June 24.

Based on the feature film of the same name (and starring Brad Pitt), World War Z drops the player in the middle of a worldwide outbreak that turns everyday people into zombie-like killers – in eight seconds, no less.

You play as Doug, a pilot trying to get out of Denver to reunite with his son in Japan. Chaos is all around him, be it hoards of killers swarming the streets at high speed, planes dropping out of the sky or cars piling on top of one another as drivers are dying or turning rabid behind the wheel.

The first-person game focuses heavily on combat, such as shooting guns or wielding a crowbar as a melee weapon. At the start of the game you'll have limited movement, but this isn't a game on "rails," with a fixed camera. Soon, you'll tap to move your character around the various indoor and outdoor levels -- but in the default setting your weapon is automatically drawn when baddies appear and your gun will start firing when you place the aiming reticle toward them. This can be changed in the Options menu, however, if you want more of a challenge.

Exploration is also important to find ammo for your weapons in desk drawers, car trunks and warehouse shelves. You'll need it.

You can also find notes that provide backstory and check on victims to provide you with XP points, which can be used to upgrade weapons and armor in an in-game store. While there isn't a push to spend real money in the game, you can buy some gold, ranging from $0.99 cents to $9.99, to fast-track to better gear.

The game also has some light puzzle solving, such as finding a key or memorizing a 4-digit PIN to get into locked areas.

The main story-based campaign spans 28 levels and provides many hours of gameplay, including some memorable scenes underneath Paris and through the streets of Kyoto late in the game. Plus, there's an optional "Challenge" mode that provides extra objectives, such as "Get 5 kills with no damage taken" or "Survive for 30 seconds with a small pistol."

Some of the initial complaints of this game have been addressed with a recent downloadable update. This includes occasional freezes and crashes, long load times and awkward melee combat. Still, the game has some occasional graphical and gameplay glitches, but truthfully it doesn't mar the experience much.

For a movie-based game, World War Z is a decent pick – if the iPad version we played is any indication – but $4.99 is too steep for what you get, relatively speaking. Instead, fans of shooters and survivor horror games should snag it while it's still under a buck.